


The Betting Pool

by SleepDeprivedFemale



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25411606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepDeprivedFemale/pseuds/SleepDeprivedFemale
Summary: Shades emerge from the Pool of Styx again. Thanatos gets roped into an illicit gambling ring. Hypnos asks for Asterius’ autograph. Achilles is going broke. The Fury sisters have an awkward reunion. Hades has a normal one. The House gossips.Zagreus finally escapes the Underworld.
Relationships: Hypnos & Thanatos (Hades Video Game), Thanatos & Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 541
Collections: Thirsting for the Chthonic Beings





	The Betting Pool

**Author's Note:**

> Will be altering a few things for narrative reasons; the Pool of Styx is where all Underworld spirits emerge from after being ‘killed’, but only certain ones, like Zagreus, Megaera, and others are permitted to stay in the House of Hades; others such as Alecto and Tisiphone are not allowed and must leave immediately (though they may lurk around as long as Hades doesn’t notice them).
> 
> There may also be some anachronisms in sayings/jokes, but as outrageous as having Ancient Greek characters calling each other lad and mate.
> 
> Also this was written with the Nyx update version so if the story is different after that then
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

As the first Wretched Thug emerges from the Pool of Styx, Hypnos jerks awake, yawns and cracks his back in preparation.

Though he is the first to realise, he is not the only one; Shades congregate and murmur; Cerberus perks up, one head whines while another barks, tail wagging; Hades briefly looks up from a pile of reports, more lines crossing his forehead. The only one who doesn’t shift in preparation is Hypnos, pausing on his way to the balcony, no doubt noticing but unfamiliar with the House’s many moods, then turning around and walking to Hypnos.

“What is going on?” Thanatos asks him in a low tone.

“Zagreus’ trying to leave the Underworld.” Hypnos suppresses another yawn. He double-checks the Wretch’s record on his list; yup, cause of death is brawl, perpetrator is Zagreus.

“He already tried that.” Thanatos frowns. “I saw him emerge from the Pool moments ago. He offered me a nectar.”

Hypnos hums. “Oh yeah, he does that sometimes, keeps trying again and again and again with no pause and then crashes to his room for a few days straight before going at it again!” Hypnos checks the queue to see more Wretched Thugs and a few Wretched Witches emerge before heading back into Tartarus’ infernal depths. Their details check out. “It’s quite a thing to see! He’s amazingly persistent.”

“Or foolish. Mad,” Thanatos adds. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Hypnos grins. “Oh, but he has been getting different results! So much so that-!”

“What are you two muttering about?” Hades speaks up, voice reverberating across the hall and the shades’ gossiping immediately stops.

Thanatos goes still, but Hypnos’ grin does not leave his face. “Logistics, Master Hades!” Hypnos cheerfully replies as Thanatos, his back turned against his master, grimaces. Hypnos’ grin grows wider; his brother couldn’t lie to save his life, or equivalent thereof.

Hades stares at Hypnos, who glances over at a new group of arrivals, a duo Wretched Louts and handful of numbskulls, emerge, and checks them off his report. A few seconds later, Hades retracts his stare with a humph.

“…Thank you for covering me,” Thanatos whispers moments later, “though I cannot imagine what you will do if Lord Hades catches you on a lie-”

“I’ll run to mom,” Hypnos immediately replies while checking a few more numbskulls off his report.

Thanatos’ expression goes from thankful to disapproving. “Is that you default response when you anger another god?”

“Yup, and it has 100% success rate even against Zeus himself!”

Thanatos’ disapproving look persists. “I imagine you’ll get busy soon, so I will leave you to it-”

“Oh, but you’ll miss the best part,” Hypnos whispers as he pulls back Thanatos by the hood, turn them both against Hades and shoved his placard in front of him.

Thanatos looks over Hypnos’ report with a blank expression. “You… want my help with keeping track of arrivals? Sure I-”

“No, no, under that…” Hypnos flips over a few pages, takes out a worn parchment at the very bottom, and shoves it to Thanatos.

Hypnos leaves Thanatos to mull it over as he double-checks a new group arrival of Wretched Thugs, Witches, and Louts.

“Hypnos,” his twin states.

Hypnos lets out a questioning hum as he checks off another few souls, then fragments of souls as they disperse back into Tartarus. Zagreus must have come across a couple of Brimstones.

“This is a betting pool.”

“Yup!” Hypnos calls out then quiets his voice and leans close to Thanatos as Hades glances over him again. “Everyone else’s in on it, and I wanted to show you, but you never get to visit!”

“Thanatos, Hypnos,” a soft voice calls out for them, as mom approaches them, gently floating over from one end of the room to the other.

“Mother,” Thanatos greets her with nod as Hypnos gives her a small wave.

“It is good to see you again, Thanatos. You’ve been busy, from what I’ve heard.”

Thanatos nods. “The war is keeping many Gods occupied, as it does me. The upcoming harsh winter has given everyone some reprieve as hostilities are starting to die down. But, I expect the mortals will have a go at it again come spring.”

“I see you three are having a family reunion, Nyx,” Hades speaks up again. Jeez, he’s always this paranoid whenever Zagreus is out.

“I am talking to my sons, Hades. Is there a problem?”

Hah, and Hades thought Hypnos’ attitude was the odd one out amongst his family.

Not waiting for a response, mom cradles both their cheeks with a smile. “You both have been well, I hope?”

Hypnos leans back and checks off a couple of more of souls from Tartarus. “Oh yeah, this is getting routine now. Or well, breaks off the typical humdrum routine!”

“Same with the war. The only thing of note are the larger armies, but I don’t expect it to be any different from all others.” Mom nods, then Thanatos, always hilariously bad at deception and discreetness, suspiciously shows her Hypnos’ parchment. “Did you know there is a betting pool for Zagreus’ escape attempts?”

“Of course.”

Thanatos blinks. “I did not expect you to take part in this.”

“My bets are less of a blind guess and more of a testament of my faith to Zagreus. Leaving the Underworld is all he has been focused on.”

“I cannot understand why. The world of the living is cold, war-torn, and awfully bright.”

Hypnos thinks that Thanatos is doth protesting much, but he keeps quiet. More bundles of broken numbskulls pour through.

“Even if he leaves, you will see him again,” mom says to Thanatos in a soft smile. “You spend much of your time in the mortal realm, and he is not one to keep out of trouble.”

“That is not what I meant…” Thanatos falters and Hypnos holds back a grin. Hah, mom has figured it out as well.

After a few more Wretched Louts and Brimstone remnant, the Pool becomes awfully undisturbed. Hypnos cracks his knuckles for who will eventually emerge. “Hey, Thanatos, can you do me a favour and check is anyone wants to make any bets? I’m always too busy when it’s my turn. Start with Achilles.”

“Ah, so making me do you busywork was your devious plan all along,” Thanatos mirthfully says, earning him a grin from Hypnos and casual smile from mom.

As Thanatos leaves, Hypnos checks off another lone Wretch from his report. So, the Fury vs Zagreus death-match has begun.

The Prince better beat her. Hypnos has money riding on it.

\\*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*/

As Thanatos approaches Achilles, the warrior eyes his parchment then looks up with a smile. “Ah, I imagine Hypnos has put you up to this?”

“He’s my younger twin. I can’t resist him,” Thanatos flatly replies.

Achilles nods, amused. “In any case, you don’t need to do any rounds. Those interested come here instead.”

Thanatos sees no reason to doubt Achilles, so he stands by and goes over the betting pool. One page is a tally of Zagreus’ escape attempts and names of winners and losers. Thanatos is equally taken aback by the sheer number of attempts and betting participants; nearly everyone in the House of Hades has taken part besides the Master himself. The current run was empty.

Thanatos turns the page over and sees the page smudged by who knows how many erasures and rewritings. The title at top states ‘Name - Location Reached - Final Opponent - Amount’. A dense odds table in tiny handwriting is nestled at a bottom corner. The first line reads ‘Orpheus - Elysium - Exalted - 15’ in Hypnos’ handwriting.

Thanatos frowns. “Orpheus? When did he manage…?”

“I think he and Hypnos have worked out a code of sorts. It is not as if he can wonder about like you two.”

Thanatos’ frown remains. A sensible answer, but the method is too sophisticated for a casual betting venture.

Under Orpheus’ bet Hypnos had scribbled ‘Hypnos - Elysium - Asterius - 25’.

“Never had my brother for the gambling mastermind either.”

Achilles lets out a short laugh. “Oh no, this was started by Charon of all people. He determines and distributes the new the odds after each attempt as well, though he can’t be present for taking score, so we each take turns and earn a small commission from earnings.”

Thanatos narrows his eyes. “He’s been around Hermes too much.” Not that he and Charon always saw eye to eye, colleagues as they were. Thanatos could never understand the boatman’s need for payment.

“In any case, this could be your chance to earn a few obols as well, Master Thanatos.”

“Not interested,” Thanatos quickly says, and not just because he has none on him.

“Then if you’ll let me put down my bet…” Achilles says gives him a good-natured shrug. “Zagreus makes it out this time. Tenner.”

Taken aback by confidence and smoothness, but when go to note it down, he notes an erased line which vaguely contains the same bet.

“Someone has to have faith in him,” Achilles says as Thanatos hesitates to write down his bet. “And I make enough to afford me this small indulgence from ever since his first attempt, though with the rate the lad’s been going I’m afraid I’ll be going broke soon enough.”

Thanatos doesn’t share his amusement but notes down ‘Achilles - Escape - 10’ nonetheless and awkwardly pockets the offered obols, uncomfortable with their weight in his pockets.

A few moments later Thanatos senses someone approach them from behind. He turns around and-

“Ah, M-Master Thanatos!” said a nervous Dusa with her typical trembling high-pitched voice. “It’s been so long since you’ve been here, and I, uh, ah…!”

“You’re a part of this betting ring as well?” Thanatos asks.

“A-Ah…?” Dusa fumbles, profusely sweating.

“At ease, Dusa,” Achilles speaks up. “Thanatos is the one collecting the bets this time, in behest of Hypnos.”

Dusa blinks several times. “Oh. Oh! I’m so relieved to hear that! I feared Lord Hades had put you up to investigate, haha…” she awkwardly laughs but quickly stops when Thanatos doesn’t join her. “A-Ahem, in that case, my bet will be… um… five obols for Asphodel and Megagorgon…”

“Feeling confident for your kin?” Achilles jokes as Thanatos dutifully jots down ‘Dusa - Asphodel - Megagorgon - 5’ and awaits payment.

“A-Ah, it’s not that, I overheard Master Zagreus grumble last time about how annoying they were to fight and uh… that’s about it I guess…” One of her snakes fumbles about and eventually hands over five obols to Thanatos, making the uncomfortable weight in his pocket grow heavier.

“There you are!” came a stranger’s voice as a rattling skeleton hopped over to them, making Dusa ascend to the rafters with a squeak. “Hope I made it time, so hard to sneak past Lord Hades with these bones, and Cerberus’ been eyein’ me like I’m a tasty treat-”

Thanatos looks over the skeleton. He thought he knew everyone in this house. “Who are you?”

“-I’m Skelly boyo, who are you? Never seen you around but then again I mostly stay in courtyard, only come around once I see the Prince take off-”

“I’m Thanatos, Death incarnate.”

Unintimidated, Skelly scratches his chin as he looks him over. “Ah yeah, you must be Hypnos’ twin, I guess you two sort of look alike if you squint hard enough and forget about the eyebrows-”

Achilles crosses his arms as Skelly keeps rambling.

“Anyways, about the boyo, I say he makes it to the Temple of Styx this time, but one of them plague-spreading bozos takes him out-!” he keeps rambling and hands Thanatos a stack of obols taken straight out of his mouth.

“Awfully confident,” Thanatos comments as he jots down ‘Skelly - Temple of Styx - Plague-spreading bozos? - 8’.

“Yeah, ever since I taught the Prince my special bash-them-against-walls-for-extra-damage technique he keeps getting further and further, I’m sure he’ll ace it after a few more tries!”

Achilles grows more displeased the longer Skelly talks and Thanatos arches an eyebrow, remembering Zagreus had indeed cornered a group of wraiths and efficiently taken them down during a shared fight.

“Ah, Thanatos, Achilles,” comes mother’s voice as she appears around the corner and Skelly’ rattling settles down.

“Lady Nyx,” Achilles greets her with small bow while Skelly momentarily takes his skull off his base to imitate a tipping of the hat.

“Hypnos believes Zagreus must be fighting one of the Furies. I expect one of them to be joining us soon.” She hands Thanatos a single obol with little fanfare. “My bet stays the same. He makes it out this time.”

“Same reasons as Achilles?” Thanatos asks as he writes down ‘Nyx - Escape - 1’.

A knowing smile is all he gets as a response.

Their quite exchange is interrupted by a splash and loud swearing and groans of ‘murderer’.

“Just in time,” Nyx says, “though it seems Megaera was not the one standing guard this time…”

“That scrawny red-blooded shi-” The string of colourful curses comes to abrupt halt as the owner of the feminine bird-like voice clears her throat, then moments later states in a more deeper more composed but still clearly annoyed tone: “Master Hades my deepest apologies, but the Prince-”

“I know. And you know you two are not allowed in this House. Leave.”

Seconds after a subdued ‘As you wish Master Hades,’ Alecto and Tisiphone appeared through the hallway. Alecto stared at Thanatos briefly wide-eyed in surprise before scowling. “Oh great, more additions to our little illicit gambling ring.”

“Alecto, Tisiphone,” Megaera joined them from a room on one end of the hallway. “I see you arrived through the Pool.”

“Lovely to see you too sister,” Alecto shoots back in a tone implying the exact opposite. “Rat us out for staying here and I blow the lid on this business venture of yours.” Not waiting for a response, she turns to the others. “That cocky brat —I mean, young Master Zagreus, will all due respect Nyx, Achilles yada yada— is getting stronger. Didn't even get him good, the ba-a, I mean, the Prince.”

Nyx, Achilles, and Skelly eye each other with varying degrees of pride and amusement. A pit forms in Thanatos’ stomach. If Zagreus has improved so much as to easily take down two of the Fury sisters, escaping the Underworld is well within his capability-

He is broken from his thoughts when Alecto hands him a sack of obols. “Elysium, Theseus. Hate to admit it but that mortal packs a punch.” She looks back to her sister. “Tisiphone?”

“Murder…” Tisiphone quietly drawls.

Alecto nods and hands Thanatos a smaller sack of obols. “She’s betting on Asphodel, Hydra.” Still looking at Tisiphone, she clicks her tongue. “You’re being an idiot, we didn’t get him that good-”

“Temple of Styx, Hades.” Megaera lets out and any idle gossip dies down.

“Woah, betting high, aren’t we?” Skelly eventually lets out.

Megaera gives Alecto a sharp look as she hands Thanatos a small red gemstone. “I have full confidence in my and my sister’s abilities. If he made it past us, there is very little that can stop him.”

“How do you know he’s fighting Hades?” Thanatos asks, partly out of genuine curiously, but mostly because he needs some time and space to properly handle everything he’s been given. He vaguely remembers Hypnos commenting that Zagreus once got killed by a [REDACTED], with no idea what it was.

Megaera inspects her nails. “Last time Zagreus tried to escape, he made it to the Temple of Styx. I saw Master Hades dispatch Cerberus, only for him to leave as well, and when Zagreus came back, he was in a particularly bad mood. Not that hard to put two and two together.”

“She makes the same bet every time she or her sisters get defeated,” Nyx whispers to Thanatos as he finally finds enough places in his cloak to store all the obols.

“Does she win?” Thanatos whispers back.

“Sometimes. Her confidence is earned.” Mother’s expression turns sombre. “Though it is a bet I wished she did not have the ability to make.”

In the meanwhile, Thanatos hears the arrival of shades from Asphodel, groaning and complaining until Hades orders them to be quiet. As the gossip and catching up around him reignites, Thanatos writes down ‘Alecto - Elysium - Theseus - Big sack of obols’, ‘Tisiphone - Asphodel - Hydra - Smaller sack of obols’, and finally ‘Megaera - Temple of Styx - Hades - small gemstone whose monetary value I am not aware of’.

Achilles gently bumps him. “You’re using the wrong odds table. If Zagreus defeats certain people, the odds change, usually in his favour,” he whispers as he indicates new columns at the miniscule table at the corner of the page.

“Charon is very thorough,” Thanatos dryly says, unsurprised as Zagreus has tried to leave enough times to warrant such granularity.

A loud groan breaks the steady background hum, only for the latter to grow louder later.

“That big nasty one’s the Megagorgon,” Skelly says.

“Dusa is out,” Thanatos announces, unsure if this is proper procedure.

Megaera sighs. “Guess her next drink’s on me.” She turns to Thanatos. “What is you bet, then? Since you joined us and all.”

“I haven’t made one. Hypnos roped me into this.”

She looks away with a bitter smirk. “I’m guessing you will enough.”

“I see no need. The end result will be the same. I don’t care much for details.”

“And by end result you mean Zagreus dies?”

Thanatos doesn’t answer, pretending to busy himself with double-checking the odds he’d noted down. Megaera stares at him for a few more seconds before she looks away with another scoff.

They spent the new few minutes in awkward silence, until finally interrupted by a grumbling hiss and low growl. A few seconds later they see an enormous skeletal serpentine head towards a secondary exit of the House.

“That’s the Lernaean Hydra,” Achilles breathes out in relief.

“Way to go boyo! Oh, I’m buying everyone a round when I win-”

Alecto grimaces. “Sorry sis.”

Tisiphone groans in disappointment and drags herself away, following after the Hydra.

Thanatos resist the urge to bite his lips and instead leans towards Achilles. “What do you think so far?”

“He’s doing good progress.” Though his expression is jovial, his tone is sombre. “Though he still has the worst ahead of him.”

“Wanna finally bet on it?” Skelly prods Thanatos. “Gotta use what chances you have to make money boyo.”

Thanatos gives Skelly a withering gaze, but the shade simply stared back with his permanent skeletal grin. “No. And even if I did, I have no use for obols.”

Achilles sighs, equal parts relieved and worried. “It could be symbolic bet then. As a sign of good luck and goodwill.”

Thanatos mulls it over. More shades, exalted warriors, archers, and spearmen, arrive. He remembers the last time they had helped Zagreus, the ‘help’ part being an exaggeration as Zagreus had gotten most enemies, even if he accidentally friendly-fired at Thanatos in the process.

With little fanfare, he writes down ‘Thanatos - Escapes - This is a symbolic bet as I do not actually have any money as you well know Charon so do not bother me about it.’

He looks up; no one seems to have noticed.

Good. This was just a useless bet for an improbable outcome after all.

\\*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*/

When Hypnos sees Asterius emerge from the Pool, he’s ecstatic. Sure, he’s lost his bet, but he gets the chance to chat to Asterius, so it was a win-win situation in his book.

“Hey! Asterius! Over here!” waves the minotaur over, suppressing the urge to immediately ask for his autograph. “Wow, I guess things must be really going down up there!”

Asterius nods. “The Prince has grown much since I last faced him, and I fear he will continue to do so.” He snorts. “But no matter his strength I have full confidence in the King’s ability to bring him down.”

Seeing his chance, Hypnos leans conspiratorially close to Asterius. “Join the betting pool then, my brother’s manning it at the back of the main corridor. I’ll join you in a bit if what I think’s gonna happen happens.” After all, Asterius was the muscle of the duo and if he goes down Theseus isn’t far behind, the minotaur’s belief notwithstanding.

Hypnos watches Asterius depart and tightly wraps his fluffy cape/duvet around him to stop him from bouncing with excitement. Just a few more minutes and then…

When Theseus emerges from the Pool with a battle cry and loudly announces to Hades that his defeat was the result of nefarious means and Olympian interference, and that he very much wants the chance to challenge Zagreus again, Hypnos starts counting down the seconds.

At first, Hades commands Theseus to be silent and return to his post.

Secondly, Hades extends his hand and Cerberus runs out of the House to guard the Temple Gate.

Thirdly, Hades descends from his throne-desk hybrid, and heads for his chambers, where he will not be seen until a few hours after Zagreus emerges defeated from the Pool.

“My goodness,” Orpheus breathlessly whispers out as soon as Hades leaves.

Once Hades is gone, Hypnos makes a beeline for the back where everyone else was. He should still be manning the Pool for new arrivals, but he knows the only ones to arrive will be mindless artifacts, rats, and some satyrs, all of which would be taken care of by the usual guards as Hypnos was only responsible for House guests and general record-keeping. He’s never detected a mistake in the reports anyways, and it wasn't everyday he gets the chance to talk to the Champions of Elysium.

Hypnos catches up to see Theseus being waved over by Asterius, who’s joined the small gathering. Alecto is currently cursing up a storm, much to Skelly’s and Megaera’s amusement, while a fumbling Dusa tries and fails to calm her down. Mom looks out to the throne with a sombre look with Achilles next to her, also trying to look serious but his lips twisting in a ghost of a smirk.

His brother stands at the back, very much keeping to himself and burning a hole through the paper, and looks up when Hypnos comes close. “He’s made it far.”

“Yup! Guess I should have had more faith in the Prince! Oh well, hopefully my commission covers the loss, or that extra thick woollen duvet has to wait for another couple of days.”

“King!” Asterius called as he approached Theseus. “Are you alright?”

“I’m merely furious my good friend!” Theseus pleasantly yells as he strolls to his companion. “For there are few times I have been defeated in battle, and only when my opponent had gained other gods’ favours-” His eyes fall to Nyx and the other assortment of Gods, and he offers them a small bow. “Lady Nyx! Despite any misgivings about the hellspa- ahem, the Prince’s attitude, I am honoured that it was one of your offspring who managed to best me, for tales of the terrors they unleash can take down the bravest of warriors!”

Hypnos blankly tilts his head, Thanatos stares straight at Theseus, while Megaera merely glances over him as she plays with her whip. Asterius shift uncomfortably at the exchange. Mom seems unbothered by the —probably unintentional— backhanded compliment, ignoring Theseus and walking away to stare at the Pool.

“Ah and Achilles,” Theseus continues unabashed, “I finally meet you! So are the rumours that you are the one who trained Zagreus true?”

Achilles nods. “I hope he fought honourably?”

“Humph. You did an excellent job considering, though I fail to understand why you took him on as a student in the first place!”

Achilles’ subtle smile slightly widens. “Master Hades asked me, but I am glad he did for Zagreus was an excellent student. And for him to defeat you means he may have surpassed me yet.”

“Yeah, Hades really did hoist his own petard there,” Skelly jumps in, earing disapproving looks from both warriors, though they don’t seem to register with him.

“Say, Mr Asterius,” Hypnos takes advantage of the small ensuing silence to scoot over to the minotaur, “can I ask you for a quick favour?”

Asterius blinks in surprise but nods nonetheless.

Hypnos grins and hands him an empty piece of parchment from his placard. “Would it be possible to give me your autograph-?”

“They’re fighting,” mom quietly says, and everyone goes quiet.

Hesitantly as if Hades would pop up from under his desk, their group makes it to the divider between the main hall and the corridor. Mom is standing in front of the desk, gazing at the Pool’s smooth surface. The few shades that still mile about slowly disperse.

“This is it, then.” Megaera scoffs. “Now we wait for the Prince to come back with his tail between his legs and return to our posts to do this all over again.”

Skelly rattles his chin. “You got this boyo…”

Achilles put his hand on the skeleton’s shoulder, looking at the Pool as intently as mom.

Hypnos, a fan of relaxed silence and not this expectant quiet, leans and whisper to Thanatos: “Boy, you could cut the tension with a knife.”

Thanatos is staring at the Pool and tightly clutching his parchment. “Do you think Zagreus will make it? That he will get out of the Underworld?”

Hypnos looks between his brother and the Pool, then finally rests his head on his stand, using his brother’s shoulder as a stool for his elbow. “Maybe. He’s been at it so many times.”

And Hypnos has greeted him almost each time he failed, recording the time, place, and cause of death, as well as other irrelevant and unchanged fields he can —and occasionally has- filled in his sleep.

“Asterius my friend,” Theseus says, still loud but not in his typical deafening volume. “As we know the outcome, I believe it is time for us to return to our post and wait for the Prince’s next attempt.”

Ah no, Hypnos’ autograph…

Asterius snort in agreement. “Yes, King, let us-”

The Pool ripples, each one larger than the previous until they form waves that reach higher and higher up the stairs.

Someone’s coming. Someone powerful.

The Styx overflows and spills over to marble floor and carpet, and it’s not something Hypnos has seen before, Zagreus’ arrival was always unexpectedly gentle, the blood, and ichor washing off him like water—

Red gives way to black hair, Zagreus’ colour, but the giant broad-shouldered figure that emerged, red rivulets running down a long black beard and elaborate armour, is not of Zagreus but of…

Hades, Hypnos realises. Hades just arrived in a way slain Gods do.

“Scatter,” Skelly hissed, and Hypnos dares a glance behind him to see the skeleton quietly already dangling from one of Dusa’s snakes as she ascends to the rafter with nary a squeak. At the other end, Orpheus silences a gasp and falls back at the court musician’s seat, back arched.

Hades comes to stand upright of the Pool, the edges of his helmet —there’s big crack just above eye level that wasn’t there before— scraping against the domed ceiling.

Megaera, Theseus, and Asterius kneel. Achilles steps back against the wall, head bowed and bracing against his spear.

Nyx quickly goes to stand behind Hypnos, Thanatos, and Megaera, one hand resting on Hypnos’ shoulder, the latter having gone slack as its owner stares at the once-again smooth surface of the Pool.

No one is arriving.

Hades steps forward, head bowing as he removes his helmet. His face is lines more than usual, with an emotion Hypnos’ doesn’t know whether to call unbridled rage, bitter defeat, or even quiet resignation.

Hades walks past Hypnos and his family and pauses. The master of the House stares down at them, and mom’s hold on his shoulder becomes firm.

“No clever quip for the occasion, Hypnos?”

Hypnos’ gaze is fixed to the floor. He’s not the most emotionally smart being, but even he can tell staring straight at Hades was rather suicidal at the moment. Thanatos must have gotten hold of his hand sometime in past few seconds, for he is giving it a tight squeeze.

Mom’s hold brings him back and he feels the fabric of her skirts against him. “This will not bring him back, Hades.”

After a few painfully long and silent seconds, Hypnos dares looks up to see Hades turn away. “Does this sight fill you with pride, Achilles?”

Achilles, head still bowed, does not respond.

“At least the house is silent for once,” Hades mutters and finally starts to walk away from them, not going to his throne, but to the back, to his private bedchamber.

“Go back to your posts,” is the last thing he says before slamming the door shut.

Only when the reverberation of the shut door dissipates does Hypnos feel like he can breathe. He finally looks up to see Shades emerge behind pillars, statues, plants, and other decorations. Silently, a scowling Megaera, a sombre Asterius and disbelieving Theseus head for the exit. Orpheus wipes his brow with a trembling hand. Achilles leans back against the wall.

Dusa silently hovers down from ceiling, Skelly still hanging from her. “The mad lad did it!” Skelly hiss with a whispered whoop as Dusa shakes her head and he falls down with a clatter of bones.

Thanatos’ hand falls away, but he otherwise does not move.

Mom’s hand reaches up to gently brush Hypnos’ and Thanatos’ hair before she goes to stand at the very edge of the Pool. “Safe travels,” she whispers.

Thanatos still hasn’t moved, and, going on pure instinct and a vague memory of mom swaddling them in the same blanket when the two of them fought, —usually ending up in Thanatos trying to wrestle out before Hypnos accidentally put both of them to sleep— unclasps one side of his blanket-like cape and drapes it over Thanatos’ shoulder.

“He’ll be back sooner than later,” Thanatos eventually says, his tone stuck somewhere between a statement, a curse, and a wish, and only then does Hypnos fully realise what has happened.

Zagreus has done it. He’s finally done it.

The son of Hades has escaped the Underworld.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated.


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